Synopsis
When the spirit of Guilhem de Courdeval is inadvertently released from its watery grave, the Templar sorcerer plots to complete the violent ritual that will put him in possession of a human body
Reviews
This neatly crafted first novel should afford some fine chills for hot summer days. A luxurious villa in Provence commands a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean and of a ruined mountain fortress. The villa has remained oddly uninhabited until the arrival of medievalist professor John McTell and his young, bossy wife Linden. With their American dollars, they illegally divert water to their swimming pool from an ancient woodland spring. But the spring has been washing over the unhallowed bones of a Templar knight, condemned for his bloody atrocities and burned at the fortress in 1307. His unleashed spirit of sheer evil now rises again to infect the Americans, their guests and the French villagers in this psychological thriller of the supernatural and the uncanny. McTell, especially, becomes imbued with the Templar's malevolent powers. The tale switches back and forth between the pleasure-seeking Americans and the more sympathetic villagers, who are steeped in their own nightmares. Notable among them are the housewife Melusine, gifted with second sight, the young and lovely Alysse and the heroically appealing priest Etien. The horrors that seize all these well-drawn characters are bizarrely suited to their individual flaws and fears.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
While on sabbatical in a small village in southern France, medievalist John McTell discovers the local legend of an evil Knight Templar burned at the stake for witchcraft in 1307. McTell soon links a series of unexplained deaths to the Knight's spirit, kept alive through spells recorded in a grimoire and now in search of a body. Rhodes uses classic works by M.R. James and Margaret Irwin as inspiration, but succeeds nicely in creating his own eerie atmosphere and sympathetic (if at times trite) characters. A strong writing style and powerful imagination compensate for a somewhat disappointing ending. Rhodes is a talent to watch, and horror fans will enjoy his first novel. Eric W. Johnson, Univ. of Bridgeport Lib., Ct.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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